Water spots are the minerals left behind when water evaporates off your car's surface. What those minerals are depends on what was in the water, which varies based on your location and water source - whether it's tap water, rain, sprinklers, or tank water. 

Most water spots in New Zealand are alkaline, often lime-based, and can be removed from your car's paint by using a water spot remover that is mildly acidic. The acid dissolves the minerals, which you then wipe away and neutralise with water or a quick detailer. In some cases, a wash with an acidic shampoo like Fireball pH3 can be enough on its own.

Water spot removers are a great tool, but they are just that, a tool. They will dissolve most mineral deposits, but not all of them. If water spots have been left for a long time, they can etch into the vehicle's surface by physically eroding the top layer. When this happens, even after the minerals are removed you may still see marks left behind from that damage. If a remover will not clear the marks, the next step is usually machine polishing.

We recommend applying layers of protection to your paint to help prevent water spots and make them easier to remove in the future.

Strong Water Spot removers most effective:

• Autostolz Water Spot Remover is the strongest and most effective in testing, its a new products and so a newer formula.  
• Chemical Guys water spot remover also works well and has been around a while.

Gentler Water Spot Removers:

• Fireball Water Spot Remover is a gentle water spot remover good for light water spots when you want to use anything too aggressive. 
• Zephyr Pro50 Eliminator, is gentler, it is mostly use by professional metal polishers to remove residue metal polish compound between steps to get a better result, but can also be used as a water spot remover.

Water Spott and Mineral Removing Car Washes:

Fireballs pH3 acidic wash

 is a gentle and safe Acidic wash to cleanse light mineral contamination.  If you have a ceramic coated car and the water is not meaning as much any more the most likely cause is light mineral contamination, this is the first tool a professional detailer will try and normally is all that is needed, is the mineral and water spot contamination is not too bad.  It's the gentlest approach and what we normally try first, but it won't remove heavy water spots.

How we approach water spots:

Given the luxury of all products on the shelf, we would first try a wash with ph3, knowing it won't remove hard water spots, but we want to wash the car anyway and this might work, if not at least it will help.  If that works job done, but if there are visible water spots you normally need more.  If there's a very good coating on the car the Fireball might be enough, but most of the time we go straight to the Autostolz water spot remover as we don't want to muck around.  We do a small test spot first and see, if it works, we do the rest of the car, if it doesn't, we go straight to polishing.  You can try claying but normally if the Autostolz water spot remover won't remove it claying wont either.  Though claying before polishing is recommended for better results anyway.